Political Organization of Space Exam Notes

Political Organization of Space

  • Nation vs. State

    • Nation: Group of people with common cultural characteristics.
    • State: Area with defined boundaries and sovereignty (e.g., Iraq, South Africa, Canada).
    • Nation-state: Political boundaries correspond with cultural boundaries (e.g., Japan, Iceland, Denmark).

  • Boundary Disputes

    • Arise from demarcation or allocation of resources along borders.
    • Types of boundary disputes: definitional, locational, operational, and allocational.

  • Colonialism

    • Major colonial powers: Great Britain, Portugal, Spain, France.
    • Colonialism has had a lasting impact on global political organization.

  • Shapes of Countries

    1. Compact: Distance from center to boundaries is roughly the same (e.g., Poland).
    2. Elongated: Long and narrow land extensions (e.g., Chile).
    3. Fragmented: Discontinuous pieces of territory (e.g., Indonesia).
    4. Perforated: A state entirely surrounds another (e.g., Italy, South Africa).
    5. Prorupted: Compact with a large projecting landmass (e.g., Namibia).

  • Heartland Theory

    • Proposed by Halford Mackinder: control of Eastern Europe leads to global dominance.
    • Rimland Theory (Nicholas Spykman): Sea power is critical, alliances needed to control the heartland.
    • Domino Theory: Political instability in one country spreads to neighboring countries.

  • Ethnicity and Race

    • Ethnicity: Determined by cultural characteristics (race, language, religion).
    • Race: Perceived inheritable biological characteristics.

Key Terms in Political Organization

  • Political Geography: Studies geographical influences on political systems.

  • Geopolitics: Interplay between international politics and territories.

  • Core vs. Periphery Countries:

    • Core: Well-developed economies (e.g., USA).
    • Periphery: Less-developed, economically weak (e.g., many African countries).

  • Sovereignty: Authority of a state to govern itself.

  • Microstate / City-state: Small states in terms of area and population (e.g., Vatican City).

  • Stateless Nation: People without a recognized state (e.g., Kurds).

Boundaries and Their Types

  • Political Boundary: Marks limits of a state’s territory.

  • Frontier: Territory without governing authority.

  • Geometric Boundary: Created by lines of latitude and longitude.

  • Physical Boundary: Based on geographical features.

  • Ethnographic Boundary: Based on cultural aspects (language, religion).

  • Boundary Evolution: Legal definitions of boundaries, Delimitation (mapping) and Demarcation (physical representation).

  • Relic Boundary: No longer active but still visible (e.g., Great Wall of China).

  • Irredentism: Movement aiming to reclaim lost territory

  • Balkanization: State fragmentation into hostile smaller states (e.g., former Yugoslavia).

International Law of the Sea

  • Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): Rights over marine resources up to 200 nautical miles from the coast.
  • Median-line Principle: Equidistant line for resource access.
  • Global Commons: Areas with no exclusive rights (e.g., Antarctica).

Colonialism and Democratization

  • Colonialism: Political dominance for territorial gain.

  • Imperialism: Control over organized areas.

  • Self-determination: Power to establish one’s own government.

  • Democratization: Establishing accountable representative government.

National Identity and Governance

  • Nationalism: Ethno-cultural group’s power to control its affairs.

  • Federal vs. Unitary Government:

    • Federal: Power shared with regions (e.g., USA).
    • Unitary: Centralized authority (e.g., France).

  • Supranational Organizations: Bodies formed by multiple states (e.g., EU, UN).

  • NATO: Military alliance for collective security.

  • Buffer Zones: Areas separating rival states.

Forces in Political Space

  • Centripetal Forces: Unifying attitudes (e.g., national identity).

  • Centrifugal Forces: Divisive attitudes (e.g., regionalism).

  • Regionalism: Creation of institutions for collective action in a region.

  • Autonomous Region: Segment with self-governing authority (e.g., Basque Country).

  • Devolution: Process where a state relinquishes power (e.g., post-Cold War era).

Influence on United States Geography

  • Gerrymandering: Manipulation of district boundaries for political gain.
  • Reapportionment: Reallocation of electoral seats based on population changes.